Evaluating the Dermal Properties of Toilet Soaps Incorporated with Different Herbal Extracts

Toilet soaps were produced with the incorporation of three herbal extracts from basil, aloevera and guava leaves singly and in combination. Volunteers were drawn from Community Secondary School Ehandiagu, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, to use the soaps and provide feedback on their qualities and various properties. The research was experimental, however the major instrument used in collecting information (data) needed was questionnaires. The population from which the data was drawn involved 400 students under which 150 students were used as the population sample size. The data collected was statistically analyzed by the use of percentage and mean values of user’s response. The findings in the experiment involved discovery of the effectiveness of various herbal soap on skin infection, smoothness of skin, the highest cleaning tendency and the best combination of local herbal extracts for quality toilet soap most suitable to various skin. The required information was gotten from the answers supplied by the voluntary users of these soaps. From the result of this research, the most effective herbal extract incorporated soap on skin infection was that containing guava leaves with percentage and mean values of positive respondents as 16.8% and 4.2 + 0.92, the best herbal extract incorporated soap responsible for skin smoothness was combined herbal extract soap (Guava, Aloevera & Basil leaves extract) with 16.79% positive response or mean + standard deviation value of 3.0 + 0.08. Moreover, in the cleansing aspect, it was observed that soaps incorporated with aloevera had the highest percentage positive response as the best cleansing soap with percentage and mean value of 14.11% and 3.5 + 0.74. Lastly, the soap produced by combination of the three local herbal extracts (guava, basil leaf and aloevera) was most suitable to various skin types with positive respondent values of 15.2% or 3.8 + 0.69 (mean + standard deviation). The toilet soaps containing herbal extracts generally gave better result than that without incorporation of the herb(s) (control) from the response of the users. Keyword: herbal soap, incorporated, extract, skin, aloevera, basil leaves, guava leaves